Weekly Question & Framework: March 15, 2024

Hello and welcome to the Curiosity Chronicle Weekly Question and Framework. In three minutes or less, I will give you one question and one framework to get you thinking going into the weekend. Without further ado, let's dive right into it. A Question to Align Intention with Action if someone observed your actions for a week, what would they say your priorities are? There are often two sets of priorities in life. One the priorities you think you have and two the the priorities your actions show you have. We've all been there. We have a set of priorities that we hold firmly in hand. But the vagaries of life enter and our actions begin to stray from those priorities. This question forces a reset. If an unbiased third party were to observe you for a week, what would they say your priorities are? Would your actions reveal alignment or dislocation? What areas and priorities do you seem to be cutting corners on? Living life as the main character means we have a difficult time holding ourselves to the fire. This question creates a zoomed out view that provides a healthy touch of perspective. The ultimate goal is alignment of intention and action. You can achieve it. This question will help so be the unbiased observer in the week ahead. What do your actions say about your priorities? What changes do you need to make a framework to improve performance and recovery? The Power Down Ritual A power down ritual is a fixed set of actions and behaviors that mentally and physically mark the end of your professional day. I first saw the idea in a blog by Cal Newport over a decade ago, though I didn't implement one until early 2023 when I started to feel that the constant connectivity of my job was eating into my time with my wife and son. An example of my fixed sequence might look something like Check email for any final requests requiring action. Check calendar and task lists for the following day. Do 15 minutes of prep for priority tasks of the next morning. Close down all applications and technology for the night. The benefits of having a power down ritual that I have one. Clear boundaries the ritual creates a clear set of boundaries that separate professional and personal activities. We become more present on each side of the boundary. 2. Fight Urgency 1 of the biggest concerns I had with implementing this was that I would miss some urgent request that would hurt my performance. After five months of doing it, I can say that what I actually realized is that there is very little in life that is truly urgent. 3. Enhanced morning productivity by including a bit of prep for the following morning as part of my ritual, I have noticed a clear boost in my productivity on the first task of the following day. I'm ready to hit the ground running and four Improved mental health. I feel so much better in the evenings after I've had the power down. I'm more present with my wife and son. I'm not worried about the random notifications that are hitting and I'm able to fall asleep faster. To create your own Incorporate these three key elements. 1. Complete final tasks what are the final checks that you need to perform in order to close out the tasks of the day and confirm that there is nothing remaining for you to complete? For most people, this will involve checking email and Slack with a quick scan plus a sweep of any open projects. 2. Prepare for tomorrow what are the focus priorities for tomorrow? What is the first task you want to make progress on when you start work tomorrow? Do 10 to 15 minutes of prep work to set yourself up to hit the ground running on that priority task. And three Initiate power Down. Create a mental trigger for the completion of the power down ritual. Cal Newport had his magic phrase schedule shutdown complete, but you can create your own less nerdy version if you'd like. Using those three elements, sketch out what a power down ritual would look like for you. As with everything, initial action builds momentum. Try it this week and see what happens. That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you learned something and I hope you'll share it with others. As always, until next time, stay curious. Friends.